Elevator.



M. E. NEENAN.

ELEVATOR. APPLICATION TILED APR.1, 1907. RENEWED MAY, 29, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.

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r orrrc MICHAEL E. NEENAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNGR TO NEENANELEVATOR COMPANY, OF NEVV' YORK, N. Y.,

A CQBPORATION NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Ia'cent.

Patented July 14-, 1914.

Griginal application filed November 22, 1905, Serial No. 288,560}.Divided and this application filed April 1, 1997, Serial No. 365,705.Renewed May 29, 1913. Serial No. 770,790.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it lrnown that 1, MICHAEL E. NEENAN, risen of the United States,residing in New York city, in the county of New York 5 and State of NewYork, have invented a new and seful improvement in Elevators, of whichthe following is a specification.

invention relates to frictionah drivapparatus for elevators and is adiviof my co-pending application, Serial filed Nov. 22, 1905, elevators;its objects is the provision of """ile and cllicient means forpreventing pping between the driving apparatus and power-trans ttingmeans. ll or objects of the invention will appear after, the novelcombinations of elebeing pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in elevation and moreor less diagrammatically a traction elevator system embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is an elcvational diagrammatic view of a modification;and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view to show a plurality ofhoisting ropes.

My invention comprises an arrangement whereby the tension throughout thepowertransmitting means, driving ropes or hoisting cables is regulatedby the load suspended therefrom. By my invention weights as usedheretofore to apply tension to the ropes or cables may be dispensed withif desired, and slipping of the frictional driving mechanism due tochange of load, as increase oi": load or sudden stoppage of the car, isreduced to a minimum or rendered substantially impossible. To this endthe ropes and sheaves are so disposed, and the car so suspendedtherefrom, that while the weight of the car holds in tension itsdirectsuspension and hoisting ropes, it also holds in tension theopposite leads of the ropes winding respectively on and oil the drivingsheave and takes up the slack in said leads, and applies greater tensionthereto when the load on the car causes increased tension on its directsuspension or hoisting ropes.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a simple arrangement is.illustrated in which the power-transmission means or driving cable orcables are also the suspension cable or cables. One end of this cable isconnected. to the top of the car 11 and extends upwardly over the sheave13 which may be mounted on the fixed overhead beam 5; thence down aroundthe sheave 41 mounted on the top of the car counterweight 36, thusailording a variable connection between the counterweight and the uppersection of the driving cable; thence up and over the sheave 13 whichalso may be mounted on the overhead beam 5; thence down to and aroundthe lower side of the driving drum or sheave 14; and finally up to thebottom of the counterweight 36 to which the other end of the drivingcable is connected, in this instance, secured or fastened. Any suitablemotor may be used to rotate the sheave 14, as a hydraulic motor, a steammotor, an alternating current or a direct current motor, etc, but inthis instance, by Way of illustration merely, l have shown an electricmotor M. Any desired motor-controlling apparatus may be employed, andfor the sake of simplicity I have shown an electric switch 1 in the carfor controlling the actuating mechanism 8 for the reversing switch 2which controls the direction of current to the motor terminals 4 fromthe positive and negative mains.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 it will be apparent that the travelin either direction of that portion of the rope 12 between the drum orsheave 14 and the bottom of the counterweight 36 is compensated by thetravel of that portion between the sheave 13 and the top of thecounterweight, so that movement of the counterweight down or up impartedby rotation of the motor sheave is communicated with equal motion inlift ing or lowering the car. It will also be seen that the weight ofthe car acting through the medium of the sheave 41, necessarily exertsan upward draft on the hoisting or driving rope attached to the bottomof the counterweight equal to twice the weight of the car, less that ofthe counterweight, and the draft on the opposite lead of the ropeextending from the driving sheave equal to the weight of the car, so asto take up slack and apply tension to both leads of the rope. Theconsequent adhesion between the rope and the driving sheave is thereforeregulated by the load in the car. That is, the

effect'of the sheave 41 is to double the upward pull on the rope belowthe counter weight, or, in other words, to produce a 2:1 draft on saidrope while a 1:1 draft is produced on the opposite lead extending fromthe driving sheave. The counterweight partially counteracts the upwarddraft on the lead connected directly thereto, and thus tends to equalizethe tension in the leads 6X- tending from both sides of the sheave. The

more nearly equal the tensions in these leads are, the less the tendencyfor the ropes to slip on the driving sheave. This arrangement,therefore, affords a' simple means for causing the weight of the car tograduate I tension is in direct proportion to changes of load.

Fig. 2 shows a motion-reducing gear of three-to-one referring to thereduction of motion between the section of the rope on the face of thedriving sheave and that-portion connected to the car. With a structureon the principle illustrated in Fig. 2, this can be carried out to anyextent desired, for instance, where the reduction is represented by anodd num ber, such as three-to-one, five-to-one, and so on. In thismodification the frame of the counterweight 36 carries two sheaves 41and 41 above the counterweight and the sheave 43 below the same. Therope 12 extends from the car 11 upwardly over the overhead sheaves 13,down around the sheave 41, up over the sheave 42, down beneath thesheave 41, up over the stationary sheave 4%, down beneath the drivesheave 14, up over the drive sheave 14, down around the sheave 14 again,up over the sheave 43, down around the stationary sheave 44, and up tothe counterweight where the end of the rope is secured. In this instancethe motor shaft 6 carries friction disks or rollers which are infrictional engagement with the frictional disks or rollers connected tothe sheaves 14 and 14. This arrangement, however, may be replaced by asingle drive pulley mounted on the motor shaft, as in Fig. 1.

in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the upward pull on the counterweight36 is the sum of the combined upward pulls or tensions on the four'leadsof the rope 12 extending from the sheaves 41 and 41. As the tension oneach of these leads is equal to the weight of the car, the total upwardpull is equal to four times the weight of the car. This is balanced bythe counterweight and the tension distributed among the three leadsextending downwardly from the counterweight. It will thus be seen thatthe tension on the rope leading from the drive sheave 14 to the pulley43 will vary with the load in the car, as will also the tension in therope leading from the drive sheave 14 to the sheave 42 The change oftension in the leads from the opposite sides of the drive sheave is indirect proportion to changes in the load in this arrangement as well asin that of Fig, 1. weight, with its connected sheaves, forms a take-updevice, as it takes up the ropes between the car and drive sheave whilethe car is being lifted and rope being paid out from the drive sheavetoward the car, and also takes up the ropebeing paid out'between thedrive sheave and the sheave 43 while the car is being lowered. It alsoforms a give-and-take connection between the lead extending from thecarand the leads extending from the drive sheave 14.

; It should be noted. that in both Figs. 1 and 2 there is but a singleor continuous rope or ropes inthe whole system, one end being connectedto the car and the other end to the bottom of the counterweight.Heretofore in frictionaldriving elevator mechanism, the weight of thetension devices was fixed according to the maximum load the elevator wasbuilt to carry, hence it will be clearly apparentthat the weight of thetension device above that required by the various loads is detrimental,causing a loss of power and increased wear on the mechanism, andconsequent reduction in the life of the same; whereas, my inventionachieves the ideal results in frictional elevator machinery of causingthe tension on the ropes on both'sides of the driving sheave or sheavesto increase or, decrease automatically according to the load. 4

Obviously my invention may be used with one or any desirable number ofhoisting ropes or cables. In passenger elevator sys- The countertems thehoisting ropes are usually placed in gangs for additional security, asindicated in Fig. 3.'

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in thedetails and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, and

I desire, therefore, not to be limited to the precise constructionherein disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,is: p 1. Thecombination with frictional driving apparatus, of flexiblepower-transmitting means driven thereby, aload-carrying device connectedtosaid means, and a counterweight and sheave connection between the Iopposite leads of said means winding respectively on and off the drivingapparatus, to effect tension on all the leads changing with the load.

2. The combination of frictional driving apparatus, flexiblepower-transmitting means driven thereby, a load-carrying device, and acounterweight for said loadcarrying device, said counterweight beingconnected between the load-carrying cevice and all the leads of saidflexible means winding respectively on and off the driving apparatus toeffect tension on all the leads changing with the load.

3. The combination with frictional driving apparatus, of a load-carryingdevice, flexible power-transmitting means, a counterweight for saidload-carrying device, said power-transmitting means being connected tothe car at one end and to the counterweight at the other end, and infrictional contact with said driving apparatus at intermediate portions,and a connection between said counterweight and other intermediateportions of said power-transmitting means to effect a variation in thetension of all the leads of said power-transmitting means in apredetermined ratio to the weight of the load.

4;. The combination with frictional driving apparatus, of flexiblepower-transmitting means driven thereby, a load-carrying deviceconnected to said flexible means, and a counterbalance connected betweenthe load-carrying device and the opposite leads of said flexible means,to effect the application of tension changing with the load and in apredetermined ratio to the weight of the load to all the said leadswinding respectively on and off the driving apparatus.

5. In an elevator, the combination with a car, of frictional drivingmeans, powertransmitting means, and means separate from the car andconnected between the car and the opposite leads of saidpower-transmitting means to vary the tension in the said leads when theload varies.

(5. In an elevator, the combination with frictional driving apparatus,of a loadcarrying device, flexible ropes or cables connecting saidload-carrying device to the driving apparatus, and means separate fromthe load-carrying device and connected between the loadcarrying deviceand the opposite leads of the cables winding respectively on and off thedriving apparatus which automatically effects a variation in the tensionon all the leads of said ropes in a predetermined direct ratio to thevariation of load.

7. The combination with frictional driving apparatus, of flexiblepower-transmitting means driven thereby, a load-carrying device, andatake-up device separate from the load-carrying device and having a fixedconnection to one lead and a variable connection between theload-carrying device and the other lead winding on and off the drivingapparatus.

8. The combination with frictional driving apparatus, of ropes driventhereby, a load-carrying device connected to said ropes, and agive-and-take connection separate from the load carrying device andbetween the lead to the load-carrying device and the opposite leadswinding respectively on and off the driving apparatus, whereby tensionon all the leads of the ropes changes with the load,

9. In a friction driving elevator mechanism, the combination with aload-carrying device, a frictional driving apparatus, flexiblepower-transmitting means looped around the driving apparatus and driventhereby, and means separate from the load-carrying device and betweenthe latter and the opposite leads of the driven flexible power-trans"-mitting means whereby the weight of the car and its load holds tight allthe said leads winding respectively on and off the driving apparatus,and the tension on said leads changes with the load.

10. In a frictional driving elevator mechanism, the combination of acar, a frictional driving drum, a hoisting rope looped around the drumand connected to the car, and a rope take-up device separate from thecar and connected between the car and the opposite leads of the ropewinding on and off the frictional driving drum whereby tension changingwith the load and in a predetermined ratio thereto, is applied to thesaid leads in the operation of the elevator.

1L In a friction driving elevator mechanism, the combination of a car, ahoisting rope connected at one end to the car, a driving device withwhich said rope makes frictional contact, a rope take-up device to whichthe other end of the rope is connected, said take-up device beingseparate from the car and having a running connection with the oppositeleads of the rope extending from the driving device.

12. A friction driving elevator mechanism comprising a car, a drivingdrum, a rope in frictional engagement therewith and extending to the carto afford a suspension therefor, and a rope take-up device connectedintermediately between the car and the opposite leads of the ropesextending from the driving drum to cause the weight of the car and itslead to apply tension to all the leads of the ropes winding on and 0dthe drum.

13. In a friction driving elevator mechanism, the combination of a car,a driving drum, combined suspension and driving ropes driven by saiddrum, a car-counterweight connected to the lower sections of said ropes,and a sheave mounted on the top of said counterweight and associatedwith inof a tension slack rope take-up device associated with said ropesand suspended between the car and the opposite leads extending from thedriving drum to affect the application of variable tension and pressureto the ropes and the frictional driving mechanism graduated by the loadon the car.

15. In a frictional driving elevator mechanism, the combination with acar, of a suspension rope, a frictional driving drum in frictionalengagement with said suspension rope, a car counterweight connected tothe lower section of said rope, and a sheave connectedjto saidcounterweight and coacting therewith and with an intermediate portion ofsaid rope to affect the application of variable tension to both leads orportions of the rope extending from the driving drum.

16. The combination with frictional rope driving apparatus, of flexiblepower-transmitting means driven thereby, a load-carrying deviceconnected to one end of said powertransmitting means, a counterbalanceconnected to the other end of said power-transmitting means, and arotatable device con.-

nectedto said counterbalance and co-acting therewith and with saidpower-transmitting means to change the tension in the leads winding onand ofif the driving apparatus when the load changes.

17. In an elevator, the combination with frictional driving apparatus,of a load-car- V rying device, flexible ropes or cables connect ing'saidload-carrying device with the driv-' ing apparatus, and a single take-updevice movable with the lower sections of said ropes or cables andassociated with loops in intermediate portions of said ropes or cablesto affect the tension of the leads on said driving apparatus when theload varies.

18. In an elevator, the combination with frictional rope drivingapparatus, of a loadcarrying device, power-transmission means comprisingflexible ropes or cables associated with said driving apparatus andconnected to the load-carrying device, a weight connected to saidpower-transmission means, and a rotatable device carried by said weightand connected to a loop, in an intermediate portion of saidpower-transmission means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL E. NEENAN.

Witnesses I CnAs. M. Nissan, ERNEST L. GALE, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddrcssing'the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

